Auto Q & A
Auto Q & A
By: Dr. Wheels
Topics:
Posted by editor Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 743 times
1 response 0 comments
Dear Q & A: What difference does tail wind or head wind make on gas mileage? Lately I’ve been carefully measuring my mileage between fill-ups, mostly on trips of more than 50 miles, and I’ve noticed quite a difference even over the same routes. Can wind really make much of a difference?
Dear SD: Sure can. Look at it the way a pilot does. If flying into a steady headwind of 35 miles per hour at a cruising airspeed of 100 mph, the airplane will be going at a true speed (groundspeed) of only 65 mph. Fuel mileage is affected similarly.
Since wind resistance is most vehicles’ greatest obstacle in attaining good fuel mileage, the higher the headwind, the worse your mileage. Conversely, a steady, high tailwind can boost mileage gratifyingly.
Drivers who have onboard computers with real-time mpg readouts can vouch for the radically different mpg they get on the straight and level depending on whether they’re fighting headwinds or being pushed along by tailwinds.
Dear Q & A: After I bought my truck new in 1995 from the Ford dealer, I had to take it back about seven times to have things fixed. Some were under warranty, some weren’t. These included (1) loose bolts holding the bed to the frame, (2) inside mirror mounted in the wrong place on the windshield, (3) driver’s bucket seat positioned over an inch to one side of the steering wheel hub, (4) coolant overflow tank unsecured under the hood, (5) wheel bolts not torqued properly and (6 and 7) I’ve forgotten these. Nothing can be done about it at this late date, but I thought I’d get it off my chest.
Dear Pete: Still rankles, eh? Don’t be too hard on Ford. No automaker is immune to occasional breakdowns in quality control on the assembly line. In the last analysis, it’s mere people who are responsible for seeing that every bolt is snugged up and every part secured, and people make mistakes. The truck just ahead or behind yours on the line could have had none of your problems.
However, a problem that recurs year after year in the same models shows corporate irresponsibility, and that’s harder to forgive. Examples of this have included sagging headlinings in Chevy and GMC pickups and Suburbans and chronic paint peeling on some Buick and Ford models.
Dear Q & A: I’m considering getting a new, small car to ease out from under my gasoline costs. What can you tell me about the Chevrolet Aveo, the Toyota Yaris, and the Honda Fit? Which is safest? How about a quick comparison of these three?
Dear SC: Safest? They’re all very small, and small cars crumple and flip more easily in crashes than bigger ones. Your safety in them depends more on options like accident avoidance and air bags. Here are some facts to help you compare:
Chevrolet Aveo - Weight 2,354 pound. Engine, 1.6-liter, 103 horsepower, 107 pound-foot torque, 4-cylinder, in-line. EPA mpg: 27 city, 35 highway. Zero-to-60 mph: 10.8 seconds. Base price $12,045. Length 152.7 inches, wheelbase 97.6.
Toyota Yaris - Wt. 2,326 pounds. Engine: 1.5-L, 106 hp, 103 lb-ft torque, 4-cyl. in-line. EPA mpg 34 city, 39 hwy. 0 to 60: 10.5 sec. Base price $14,050. Length 169.3, wheelbase 100.4 in.
Honda Fit - Wt. 2,551 lbs. Engine: 1.5-L, 109 hp, 105 lb-ft torque, 4 cyl. in-line. EPA mpg 33 city, 38 hwy. 0-to-60: 9.3 sec. Base price $14,400. Length 157.4, wheelbase 96.5 in.
— S.D.
Dear SD: Sure can. Look at it the way a pilot does. If flying into a steady headwind of 35 miles per hour at a cruising airspeed of 100 mph, the airplane will be going at a true speed (groundspeed) of only 65 mph. Fuel mileage is affected similarly.
Since wind resistance is most vehicles’ greatest obstacle in attaining good fuel mileage, the higher the headwind, the worse your mileage. Conversely, a steady, high tailwind can boost mileage gratifyingly.
Drivers who have onboard computers with real-time mpg readouts can vouch for the radically different mpg they get on the straight and level depending on whether they’re fighting headwinds or being pushed along by tailwinds.
Dear Q & A: After I bought my truck new in 1995 from the Ford dealer, I had to take it back about seven times to have things fixed. Some were under warranty, some weren’t. These included (1) loose bolts holding the bed to the frame, (2) inside mirror mounted in the wrong place on the windshield, (3) driver’s bucket seat positioned over an inch to one side of the steering wheel hub, (4) coolant overflow tank unsecured under the hood, (5) wheel bolts not torqued properly and (6 and 7) I’ve forgotten these. Nothing can be done about it at this late date, but I thought I’d get it off my chest.
— Pete
Dear Pete: Still rankles, eh? Don’t be too hard on Ford. No automaker is immune to occasional breakdowns in quality control on the assembly line. In the last analysis, it’s mere people who are responsible for seeing that every bolt is snugged up and every part secured, and people make mistakes. The truck just ahead or behind yours on the line could have had none of your problems.
However, a problem that recurs year after year in the same models shows corporate irresponsibility, and that’s harder to forgive. Examples of this have included sagging headlinings in Chevy and GMC pickups and Suburbans and chronic paint peeling on some Buick and Ford models.
Dear Q & A: I’m considering getting a new, small car to ease out from under my gasoline costs. What can you tell me about the Chevrolet Aveo, the Toyota Yaris, and the Honda Fit? Which is safest? How about a quick comparison of these three?
— S.C.
Dear SC: Safest? They’re all very small, and small cars crumple and flip more easily in crashes than bigger ones. Your safety in them depends more on options like accident avoidance and air bags. Here are some facts to help you compare:
Chevrolet Aveo - Weight 2,354 pound. Engine, 1.6-liter, 103 horsepower, 107 pound-foot torque, 4-cylinder, in-line. EPA mpg: 27 city, 35 highway. Zero-to-60 mph: 10.8 seconds. Base price $12,045. Length 152.7 inches, wheelbase 97.6.
Toyota Yaris - Wt. 2,326 pounds. Engine: 1.5-L, 106 hp, 103 lb-ft torque, 4-cyl. in-line. EPA mpg 34 city, 39 hwy. 0 to 60: 10.5 sec. Base price $14,050. Length 169.3, wheelbase 100.4 in.
Honda Fit - Wt. 2,551 lbs. Engine: 1.5-L, 109 hp, 105 lb-ft torque, 4 cyl. in-line. EPA mpg 33 city, 38 hwy. 0-to-60: 9.3 sec. Base price $14,400. Length 157.4, wheelbase 96.5 in.
| Send to a Friend | Report a Violation |
